Centrifugal coupling especially adapted for spinning buckets



Jan. 16, 1951 E. T. BIRSCH 38,227 CENTRIFUGAL COUPLING, ESPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR SPINNING BUCKETS Filed March 28, 1946 3 1 E 5 i" I I l L 1 J JNVENTOR.

0 W/A/ 7.' B/RSCH BY or more interfittingarcuate shoes I.

Patented Jan. 16, 1951 CENTRIFUGAL COUPLING ESPECIALLY 'ADAPTED Fplt SPINNING BUCKETS Edwin T. Birsch, Lewistown, Pa., assignor to American Viscose Corporation, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application March 28, 1946, Serial No. 657,772

7 Claims. (01. 192-105) the coupling slips without damage thereto and.

without overloading the driving mechanism. The invention is hereinafter described in connection with rayon spinning buckets to which it is particularly applicable.

In the manufacture of rayon and the like, the thread or yarn is collected in a spinning bucket that is rotated at high speed by a drive shaft or motor spindle. It is the customary practice to place the buckets upon, and sometimes to remove the buckets from, their drive spindles while the drive spindles are rotating at high speed. It is, therefore, necessary that the spinning buckets be readily removable from the drive spindles. It is also necessary that the spinning bucket does not slip on its drive spindle during normal spinning operation.

This invention has for its principal object to provide improvements in means for coupling a spinning bucket to a drive spindle which will permit the spinning bucket to be readily applied thereto and also to be readily removed therefrom during rotation of the spindle and which assures substantially uniform speed of the spinning box during normal operation thereof for collecting yarns. Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of a spinning bucket embodying the invention; and

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on line II--II of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing, reference character 2 indicates generally a spinning bucket having a hub portion 3 provided with a central bore 4. The spinning bucket, when in operative position, is mounted on the adapter bushing 5 which is rigidly attached to a motor spindle, not shown. While the bushing closely fits the upper portion of the central bore, suflicient clearance is provided to enable the spinning bucket to be readily removed and replaced on the adapted bushing.

An annular recess 6 is formed along a portion of the central bore and is adapted to contain two The hub is countersunk at 8 to receive an annular plug 9 which may be threaded into the countersunk bore and serves to retain the shoes I loosely in the recess 6.

In the sectional view of Figure 2, which shows the shoes i in the position they take when the v spinning bucket is idle or rotating at slow speed,

the two shoes are of generally semicircular form and their abutting ends are of stepped form. This stepping interlock comprises an inner arouate projection in from the thick head H and having an inside cylindrical surface coincident with that of the rest of the shoe. The projection 10 is overlapped by an outer projection Illa on the tail E2 of the adjacent shoe. The stepped, interlocking ends prevent the ends from projecting inwardly and thereby facilitate replacement of the bucket with its coupling upon the adapter bushing 5 which normally tightly grips the motor spindle. In addition, the projection in on each shoe increases the are between the inwardly directed radial line of force at its tip and the outwardly directed line of force along the 30 inclined line shown in Fig. 2. This increased spread between these lines of force imparts a greater force for centering the driven and driving members on their common center line.

The shoes have a thick head portion l I bounded by concentric inside and outside surfaces of substantially cylindrical shape which have a run-- ning'fit on the bush 5 and in the recess 6 and an inwardly tapering tail portion l2. The relative are occupied by the thick head i I and the tapered tail l2 may vary widely. Preferably the tail l2 constitutes the major length of the shoe and as shown, it occupies approximately while the head (exclusive of the projecting step) extends 30. The outer surface of the tail I2 may be tapered inwardly along any desired curve. Preferably, as shown, it is formed as a cylindrical surface centered at A and A for the respective shoes.

In operation, it is preferable, though not absolutely essential, that the head ll lead the tail H of a given shoe. Assuming this to be the case illustrated, rotation will be in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figure 2. During rotation, centrifugal force causes the tails !2 to swing outwardly from the position shown. This pinches or wedges the heads H between the inside bush 5 and the inwardly facing wall of recess 6. This wedging action increases with increase in speed of rotation. However, it is subject to slipping without damaging the co-operating parts when overloading occurs. The force exerted by the wedging action can be varied, if desired, by increasing or reducing the weight of the tail I2.

While preferred embodiments have been shown, it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. In combination, a driving element having a smooth arcuate engaging surface, a driven element having a smooth arcuate engaging: surface concentric with and spaced from that of the driving element, means for coupling said driven element to the driving element comprising at least two arcuate shoes disposed in the annular space between the two smooth arcuate engaging surfaces, each of said shoes having a thick portion, of which both inner and outer surfaces have the axis of the driving element as a common center and have a running fit adjacent the two engaging surfaces of the elements, and a tapered portion having its outer surface tapering inwardly and eccentric to the inner surface and being movable in response to centrifugal force to swing the thick portion into gripping engagement .with the two engaging surfaces of the elements.

2. In combination, a driving element having a cylindrical surface, a driven element having a cylindrical surface concentric with and spaced from that of the driving element, means for coupling said driven element to the driving element comprising two arcuate shoes disposed in the annular space between the two surfaces, each of said shoes having a thick portion bounded by concentric inside and outside cylindrical surfaces, of which both inner and outer surfaces have the axis of the driving element as a common center and having a running fit adjacent the two surfaces of the elements, each shoe having a tapered portion having its outer surface tapering inwardly and eccentric to the inner surface and being movable in response to centrifugal force to swing the thick portion into gripping engagement with the two surfaces of the elements.

3. In combination, a driving element, a driven element having a hub adapted to receive the driving element, an annular recess in the hub adapted to surround the driving element, means for coupling said driven element to the driving element comprising a plurality of arcuate shoes loosely disposed in the recess, each of said shoes having a thick portion, of which both inner and outer surfaces have a running fit in the recess and have the axis of the driving element as a common center and a tapered portion having its outer surface tapering inwardly and eccentric to the inner surface and being movable outwardly in response to centrifugal force to swing the thick portion into gripping engagement with the two surfaces of the elements.

4. In combination, a driving element, a driven element having a hub adapted to receive the driving element, an annular recess in the hub adapted to surround the driving element, means for coupling said driven element to the driving element comprising a plurality of arcuate shoes loosely disposed in the recess, each of said shoes having a thick portion bounded by concentric inside and outside cylindrical surfaces, the inner and outer surfaces of said thick portion having the axis of the driving element as a common center and having a running fit in the recess, each shoe having a tapered portion having its outer surface tapering inwardly and eccentric to the inner surface and being movable outwardly in response to centrifugal force to swing the thick portion into gripping engagement with the two surfaces of the elements.

5. In combination, a driving element having a smooth arcuate engaging surface, a driven element having a smooth arcuate engaging surface concentric with and spaced from that of the driving element, means for coupling said driven element to the driving element comprising at least two arcuate shoes disposed in the annular space between the two smooth arcuate enaging surfaces, each of said shoes having a thick portion, of which both inner and outer surfaces have a running fit adjacent the two surfaces of the elements and have the axis of the driving element as a common center, and a tapered portion having its outer surface tapering inwardly and eccentric to the inner surface and being movable in response to centrifugal force to swing the thick portion into gripping engagement with the two surfaces of the elements, the thick end of one shoe abutting against the end of the tapered portion of the adjacent shoe.

6. In combination, a driving element having a cylindrical surface, a driven element having a cylindrical surface concentric with and spaced from that of the driving element, means for coupling said driven element to the driving. element comprising at least two arcuate shoes disposed in the annular space between the two surfaces, each of said shoes having a thick portion, of which both inner and outer surfaces have a running fit adjacent the two surfaces of the elements and have the axis of the driving element as a common center, and a tapered portion having its outer surface tapering inwardly and eccentric to the inner surface and being movable in response to centrifugal force to swing the thick portion into gripping engagement with the two surfaces of the elements, the thickend of one shoe abutting against the end of the tapered portion of the adjacent shoe, and the adjacent ends of the shoes P being stepped for interlocking engagement.

7. In combination, a driving element having a cylindrical surface, a driven elementhaving a cylindrical surface concentric with and spaced from that of the driving element, means for coupling said driven element to the driving element comprising at least two arcuate shoes disposed in the annular space between the two surfaces, each of said shoes having a thick portion, of which both inner and outer surfaces have a running fit adjacent the two surfaces of the elements and have the axis of the driving element as a common center, and a tapered portion having its outer surface tapering inwardly and eccentric to the inner surface and being movable in response to centrifugal force to swing the thick portion into gripping engagement with the two surfaces of the elements, the thick end of one shoe abutting against the end of the tapered portion of the adjacent shoe, and the adjacent ends of the shoes being stepped for interlocking engagement, an inner projection from the thick portion of one shoe being disposed to overlap an outer projection from the tapered end of the adjacent shoe.

. EDWIN T. BIRSCH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES, PATENTS France Apr. 11, 1925 

